Loopback testing is one of the easiest and quickest ways to conduct diagnostic tests for the purpose of debugging design or connectivity bugs. This methodology has been widely used in the electronics industry for a long time, such as for remote fault isolation in the field. It has also resulted in significant reduction of product or equipment downtime. The latest SATA specification (Revision 2.5 and dated Oct. 27, 2005) specifies three loopback modes for a SATA device (host, device, tester), namely far-end retimed loopback, far-end analog, and near-end analog.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.